2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
When we look at Timothy we can see just from this passage his upbringing gave him head knowledge of who Christ was; and perhaps there wasn't an "aha" moment so to speak when he definitely was able to state was the day he came to saving faith.
That is just conjecture; but what we can discern is that it was likely just the Old Testament and those familiar with Christ's teachings from actually witnessing what happened to him to that would influence him; and that it was likely Paul's letters and some traditions would have been all of the "New" Testament available to him at the time.
Fast forwarding to today's tech savvy AI environment and we no doubt have a vast array of information available online regarding the Bible. In this segment I'm emphasizing living out faith through a human as being something a computer can't provide except by narrative accounts of saints who have largely passed this earthly realm.
What you won't gather is something perhaps rarely considered; that of those sins which we ALL learn from and how the Body of Christ works to strengthen one another. Suppose someone is given a Word; a specific scripture which happens to pierce the heart of another parishioner. A person may have no idea why the Lord prompts them to warn (let's say a verse about those inheriting the Kingdom of God not being fornicators; idoloters; adulterors; etc ( 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). This is an example of proper use of spiritual gifts; that is using scripture (and not some extrabiblical prophecy) to give a warning to someone. The person can apply it to whatever it is they are struggling with and then it can pierce the heart as Hebrews 4:12 indicates as a "two edged sword". Often men are viewed in a very one sided manner by a computer summary of their lives.
The children of Isreal did not enter the promised land " because of their unbelief " unbelief is not just not believing God ,it is believing another message the wrong message . Paul warns believers not only not to be like them who entered not in because of unbelief but also warned not to be " like Eve" . She too did not believe God but believed the wrong message. When you reject the truth you will believe the lie and when you believe the lie you become blind to the truth .
How long did it take the children of Isreal to travel from Egypt to the borders of the promised land? Most will say 40 years . Not so .It took them just over two years . But the church the body of which I am a part has made the wandering in the wilderness for 40 years the Christian norm.
Has made the promised land heaven and Jordon death .
There are no giants in heaven or cities to conquer .
It was God who barred them from entering because of their unbelief . Out of over 2000,000 people there was only TWO ( 2) who came out of Egypt and entered the promised land . It was another generation that entered the very children who thevothers said would be bread for those giants were the ones who became " more than conquerors" .
They shall not enter into my rest . They found no place of rest in the wilderness .
That minor part was to be in effect boot camp . But they made it their life. " Fire er learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth".
It's time we woke up for it is written of the Bride she will " come out of the wilderness terrible as an army with banners leaning upon her beloved"
The sun is like the groom who comes out of his chamber.."
The Bride is the moon who having no light of its own never the less bares witness that even in the darkest night when she is still shining that not only is the sun still shining but that there is coming a perfect day .
And "God created thec greater light to rule the day and the lesser. Light to rule the night.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
Jeremiah 45:2-3
"Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest."
Isaiah 40:29
"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that haveno might he increaseth strength."
Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew theirstrength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Psalms 27:1
"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."
Hello Dmpsip. There's not very much that is similar between the Sabbath and Sunday. The Sabbath Day was instituted by God for His chosen people Israel with the other Laws in the Ten Commandments plus hundreds of other Laws. Exodus 20:8; Exodus 31:13-17. As part of the Sabbath, the Israelite had to conform to rules about work, home activities, and travel. If these were broken, then punishment was certain. So Sabbath was a day of complete rest and of course, religious activities centered around the Tabernacle, Temple or Synagogue and they were more relevant on the Sabbath Day when folk ceased from their usual labors on the other six days.
Sunday, or first day of the week, was a day set aside by early Christians to come together to worship the Lord & learn from His Word ( Acts 20:7), separate from the Jewish Sabbath and probably in remembrance and inline with the Lord's Resurrection on the first day of the week. And of course, Sunday can be utilized as a day of rest, spiritual contemplation, and being of service to others. So, apart of this aspect of rest and spiritual exercises, not much else is similar to the Sabbath Day observance by Israel.
However, Hebrews 4:9,10 states: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." And this rest has been promised to all who place their trust in Jesus. We look not just for that one day of rest from physical activity, but a true abiding rest in our Savior; resting from our efforts we made previously to please God, and now finding perfect rest by the ministry of His Spirit in our hearts & lives seven days a week.
Thanks Bennymkje for those further comments. Indeed, the one IN CHRIST has entered into that true Rest even as we see the distinction of the seventh day, and of Israel's rest that gave a foretaste of that true rest to come for all "the people of God" ( Hebrews 4:1-11). The Sabbath rest for Israel was not only a day of physical rest from their daily grind but looked forward to both Canaan-rest and onto a continual spiritual rest only to those believing and who would place their complete trust in the LORD. And yes, in Jesus alone, we can find that perfect rest today - and every day of the week.
Though I don't believe that 'Bible Hermeneutics (BH)..is a placebo prescribed by quacks..' BH is a clear requirement to correctly read and understand God's Word as given, without adding our beliefs, views, & inclinations to it. If Christian nationalism purports to be God's instrument for the installation of Christ's Kingdom & His Holy requirements, then BH is not the fault, but lies at their reading of the Word & their exuberance for the restoration of Christian principles. If that were not the case, then shouldn't all of us, who stand behind BH, also advocate those nationalistic programs? Christ's Kingdom will come, as the Word declares, but on His terms, not ours. We are simply called to be His witnesses of His Mercy & Grace, living Holy lives that reflect the very Nature of the God we worship and serve, and to be a "sweet savour of Christ" to all. So, to name some as 'quacks' is quite uncalled for, since the same could be applied to those who don't hold to correct methods of interpretation, but I refrain from doing so.
"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:"
Isaiah 58:14
"Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."
Hebrews 4:10
"For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."
Is it not also written that we are made kings and priests unto God"?
Of what irder? Of Malchezidech.
In the temple not made with hands . If then they are guiltless in the flesh in the temple made with hands how much more then the true saints of God ?
Now is not the foundation of the Sabbath as it is understood by many based upon Genesis and of how Hod rested on 7th day?
Who can deny it ? Then what do you make of that scripture that says " we are to rest from our labours even as God did from His"? Hebrews 4:10.
Again I say this not for contention but that one or the other be fully persuaded in their own minds and be at peace and with each other .
Collisions " Ket no man judge you in meat and drink or in respect of an holy day or a new moon or a sabbath day ( which are but shadows of things to come )"
Endless 'debates' therefore about the Sabbath are not only unfruitful but barred in scripture .
The above is hardly an definitive exposition of the subject but it is or shouild be enough for any spiritually minded Saint to avoid such needless contentions and perhaos a foundation for further study for clearly there is more to the subject than what is commonly held on the matter .
But I repeat again what Paul writes if you or any esteem one day above all other days go in peace and be at peace with yiur brethren or if you esteem all days alike does this not also apply? And not to judge your brethren in the matter ?
For clearly it is not either or but rather if we are IN Christ he is our peace and we should rest from our own works and rest in Him .for we walk by faith do we not ? And " after the Spirit and not after the flesh"
Brother Jesse has provided Scriptures to consider on this matter. I could offer Scriptures that would debate these points, but that would not answer your questions. This doctrine originated in 325 A.D. and was expanded over the next 150 years or so. You need to pray and study for your own conscience.
The majority support this doctrine, and some believe it is essential to be a Christian. Jesus is our Lord, and He gave His life to pay the penalty for sin so that we, through Him, can be reconciled to God. The wages of sin are death, Romans 6:23. Jesus' death on the cross paid this price.
Jesus had His own will, but was obedient and did the will of the Father, John 14:31, Luke 22:42, John 5:30, John 17:16, John 12:49.
The Chalcedonian Creed A.D. 451 states, "Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, in confusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of nature's being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved." Does Scripture support this?
God alone possesses immortality, 1 Timothy 6:16. Our faith rests on the death and resurrection of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 1 Corinthians 15:12-17. God cannot die. Jesus was tempted in the same ways we are, Hebrews 4:14-16. God cannot be tempted, James 1:13.
The Bible will answer all questions we have if we are ready to receive the answer, Matthew 7:7, James 1:5, with prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit-not man.
I'll call this series (if it goes beyond this post) in depth Christian fellowship in the Body of Christ. As typical on my end I don't put as much forethought as I should perhaps. It should be clear by now that if I am obsessive with anything there is always scriptural backing. Hopefully thinking outside the box will help us to meditate on deeper meanings of our brothers and sisters in Christ; and how we learn to build relationships based on Christ's teachings and through the Spirit rather than our own understanding.
I also want to avoid being boring here; while admitting that without being strongly gifted with serving spiritually it is an effort at times for me to do what I'm sure many of you do on a regular basis in terms of serving others. In general my theme here is that being Born Again allows us to rejoice in serving not only other believers but those in the world who; well aren't exactly out there heaping praise on us all the time. I will say that even when I am not up to par; there is sympathy at times when people see my concern to get it right in an attempt to honor my supervisors and therefore the Lord in my work.
Of course as Paul stated it wasn't his primary mission (he really didn't have the time) in serving tables (see Acts 6:2). He certainly was an example of self sacrificial life himself but the Word of God and the limits of time he had as a travelling Apostle didn't allow for lengthy sidetracks.
I would like to redirect our attention to our role as kings and priests spelled out in Revelation. Jesus acts now; according to Hebrews 4:14 and many other verses in that book and elsewhere to facilitate intercession with the Father in our behalf. We are also 1 Peter 2:5
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ-this indicates our role in service; prayers and TRAINING for future rule in heaven.
I pray that I do not offend you, brother. Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God, and God placed Him above all, not just humans, until the last enemy is destroyed. Jesus is worthy of these titles. We do not see the apostles teaching that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, in Acts 3:13, where Peter says, "the God of our fathers hath glorified His Son."
In Revelation 1:17-18 says "he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore". God is Spirit and eternal, and can not change, nor even any part of Him die. God sent His Son into this world to be the propitiation for our sins, 1 John 4:10. The law was for man, who could be tempted, Hebrews 4:14, God cannot be tempted James 1:13. Man had to live a perfect life, obedient to the Father, and die that through Jesus's blood, we have redemption, Ephesians 1:7, God is a Spirit.
The phrase "son of man" in the Old Testament is a metaphor or idiom referring to a human being or a mere mortal. God addressed Ezekiel as "Son of Man"; Jesus referred to Himself 80 times as the "Son of Man." In Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel was shown a vision of Jesus after His resurrection ascending to heaven, to His Father, Ephesians 1:17-23, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory. God does not have a God, 2 Cor. 11:31, Eph. 1:3, Eph. 4:6, 1 Pet. 1:3.
Daniel 10, this is not a vision of Christ; it is an angel, Gabriel. This chapter shows us that battles in the spiritual realm are going on that we do not see or hear. Daniel had prayed and was mourning about what he had been shown would happen to his people and Jerusalem in Daniel 9. In Daniel 10:12-14, Gabriel tells Daniel why he was late coming; this is not a vision of Christ.
I will leave it there; I hope you understand my reply is in love.
Revelation 1:16 - And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: That's taken from Isaiah 49:2. It is also mentioned later in Revelation Chapter 19 at the second coming of Christ, where it says out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and tread them in a winepress of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God.
We don't expect to see a literal sword. That's the Jewish way of saying how powerful God's word is. It's like a sword that cuts right through you. We know in Hebrews 4:12, and again, another Jewish literature letter, it says for the word of God is quick, that is, living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and it is a discerner, that is, a critic, of the thoughts and motivations of the heart.
That's how powerful God's word is. We're not talking about quoting the bible. We're talking about the truth that God's word has. It cuts deep. It's powerful. Out of the Lord's mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.
And His countenance, that is, His face, was as the sun shineth in his strength. The Greek phrase expresses looking straight into the sun at high noon on the brightest day of the year. Wow, what a sight!
That's from Judges 5:31. That's who Jesus Christ is!
Dear Dddsam87, Sorry for the late reply, but I had to take some time to think about it. And there are so many nice people in here who pray for all people every day, night and hour. Even if they don't appear on the web. So don't believe anything else even if answers come late. But we have 1 who doesn't come too late. It's Jesus Christ, He who went through hell for our sake. When the Light of Jesus fills a heart, that light drives out fear, hatred, and all that is evil and sometimes everything bad. We are talking about Healing for spirit, soul and body. And it's wonderful to read that you started praying to God! And you see, do you think that you and I can change anything without having the Lord with us? When you prayed back then, to God and didn't really know who you were praying to. Then He was there. Still, isn't it nice? So that was the best and most natural thing you could come up with. What you are talking about is possession by evil spirits. As clear as day, they exist now as never before. Because when Jesus was here on earth, He did nothing else but cast out diseases and evil spirits from people, everyday.
So these are real issues.
What you can do for yourself is to get to know Jesus Christ through the Word of God. And personally I think you have to be a personal Christian. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. You will find here on the web page how to be saved, read the words loud and clear. And believe them If you are, you are safe. Sometimes you can talk to the spirits, and you need to know who you are dealing with. For example: Everything that is of evil Jesus Himself mentions in Matthew 15:19 Remember that the person in question knows nothing about it. You don't need to gape and scream. It is enough to say things like - Come out of her/him now, you blasphemous spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ. For in His Name He Himself says. HEhas all power in heaven and on earth. Jesus has allpower. AllspiritsareafraidofHim.
Hebrews 4:15 - For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Wow! If you underline from "be touched, all the way through with the feeling of our infirmities," that's actually two words in the Greek text, the word able, and the word sympathy. Our high priest is able to sympathize with our infirmities.
But was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Or more literally, but according to all things, according to our likeness, yet without sin. That's how those last two phrases read. So, we do not have a high priest which cannot, and is not able to sympathize with our infirmities, but according to all things, according to our likeness, He was tempted, yet without sin. He had no sin nature.
Hebrews 5:2 - Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
That term "out of the way" means those who wonder in error, compassion on people who are ignorant and are easily led astray. And that's because of the condition of the priest, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity, or weakness.
Hebrews 5:9 - And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
And being made perfect, and this is the word TELIOS which means complete, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all of those who obey him;
The completion: It is finished. He has done it all!
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
For the word of God is quick, which means alive. And powerful. And then thirdly, sharper than any twoedged sword. Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner, or more literally a critic, of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
I like to view the church (fellowship of believers) as a spiritual hospital because that's what it is. It's for people coming to get saved, and for people coming for therapy because they've already been saved, but they need to be transformed from the effects of sin.
The word of God is like an x-ray machine. And this is why some people don't like to be around the word. When some believers are caught up in sin, they don't like to be around the teaching of the word of God because it's "an x-ray machine!"
When it says the word of God, we're talking about the combination of Spirit and scripture. Just the scriptures themselves, those are the words in ink on the page. That's not going to convict you. It is God's Spirit that makes the word of God alive and powerful just like a surgeon's needle and will get right down to being a critic of the motivations and intentions of a person's heart. That's how powerful it is!
Hebrews 4:3 references Psalm 95, which describes the Israelites' journey with Moses through the wilderness, enduring dunes, rocky paths, and scarce food and water. Those who did not remain faithful, trusting in God's promise, did not enter God's rest. This passage stresses faith and the rest God has promised to those who, in faith, overcome the trials of this life filled with challenges, temptations, and struggles.
Revelation 3:5 shows us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot earn our salvation through our actions; rather, this rest is dependent on accepting the grace and redemption offered in Christ, works that were finished from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 13:7-8 states that all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. This time is still to come; only true believers will be able to resist this hour of temptation that is foretold in Revelation 3:10. We see this same language in the concept that the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world.
The challenge and reward are found in Revelation 2:7 and Revelation 13:9-10, "He who has ears, let him hear." We can read and study the Bible without grasping the truth of its message for different reasons, truth comes from prayer. Our ears are connected to our eyes; if we cannot hear, we are also blind.
We have these verses to consider.
Before being ordained, Jeremiah 1:5, Acts 13:48, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 1:15
The foreknowledge of God, Acts 2:23, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:26-27, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 1:20
Donna, I know where Yakima is. We live near Puget Sound.
I have these Scripture verses for you to meditate upon during this time of sadness, worry for Arthur.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and grace in our time of need.
Hebrews 7:2
Consequently, He (Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him (Jesus), since He always lives to make intercession for them (Us).
1 Peter 5:7 (We can be comforted, receive peace, and relief from our worry and grief by)
casting all of your anxiety upon Him (Jesus) for He cares for you.
I continue to pray for Arthur and your other son who are together at this time, (most likely not good for each other).
And for you, Momma, who brings to God the needs of your sons. I pray that God will strengthen you in faith, inn physical strength, in hope, and in confidence in God.
I know that this situation is so painful for you and also for Arthur.
I would like to ask you to pray for my friend, Kim, who is bed bound, disabled, so very depressed and not receiving the care she truly needs by not wishing to go into an assisted living situation. I will be taking her to the dentist tomorrow. This will be the first time she has allowed me to see her in 5 years. I am glad to help her, but she is just in a very bad mental and physical place. AS friends, we love each other. But I can only do what she allows me to do, since she is completely mentally competent. He two children both have jobs and can only care for her in the evenings, which isn't good care because they will not get her up out of bed into a wheel chair to come out of her room into the common living space to be able to interact with them. They feed her, clean the house, and other necessary things, but are not to aware of how they can help her to have better daily experiences.
I appreciate your prayers for her and her children. Her husband passed away 1 1/2 yrs. ago.
There are many verses explaining Christ's perfect; sinless life. Hebrews 4:15 says For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. A casual search will find lists of dozens to 100 or more verses on this subject. These are fine studies and I will try to incorporate many more into this series. My main focus is on how He lived this way in varying situations whether with His inner circle of Disciples; the larger public; the Pharisees and Sadducees or private prayer.
As I brought up briefly in an earlier post; Jesus lived His first 30 years with scanty details written about it. Although there are spurious extrabiblical writings that mention outrageous miracles; signs and wonders ascribed to this period of His life; the fact that the Spirit came down on Him and even John didn't know who He was should tell us otherwise. John was born to Elizabeth; Mary's cousin (according to the way most understand the text). If anything extraordinary occurred you would expect John would have been aware of it before this time. Mary knew certainly that all that Christ said should be paid attention to; we see this with the miracle of the water turned to wine in the Cana wedding in John 2:1-11. We will start there and leave the general conclusion that Jesus served His parents well and with the family business; which some have said is more representing general labor of construction work rather than just a carpenter. He did with the incident when He was 12 years old briefly "disobey" His parents in appearance doing work in "His Father's house" ( Luke 2:49); which shows how God was His true Father hence it could trump Joseph His earthly father; nonethless this was a one time incident; perhaps I'll surmise being a rite of passage like a BarMitzvah although I could be wrong about that; just a thought.
If we look at the whole of Scripture we see a sort of a master play; fleshed out in the epochs of the past and heading from now into the future with a predetermined outcome. The characters are manifold and encompass different cultures and nations including territory all the way from Ethiopia to India ( Esther 1:1); to include Jerusalem as the center focus eventually with surrounding parts of Europe, Asia and Africa making it as the "center" of the earth of the major Kingdoms from Babylon; Egypt; Greece and Rome in the past to the future "Beast" system of the end times rapidly developing as we speak.
In all this we see something unique; that the codirector as it were personally had to take the fall in the middle of this drama and come back to life. Everyone of course is part of the audience but of course where their future is the question.
As men any description of God's ways is inadequate. It is always best to keep to God's Word rather than even the best books written on scriptural topics such as "Pilgrims Progress" or the thoughtful tales of C.S. Lewis that have hundreds of scriptures brought to life in a fanciful story of British youth in the Post World War two era and Aslan as a type of Christ. Nonetheless; it is no accident of course all the details in all of our individual lives and how they fit in with everyone else; John 21:25 makes it clear that all the books in the world couldn't hold just what Christ Himself did when on earth. The Bible is the LIVING Word; and although it has to be front and center it is active ( Hebrews 4:12). Our existence will change as the rest of His chosen first Fruits are Resurrected into new bodies but even with a new heaven and earth and the old one burned up His Truth remains the same.
I intend to spend some time on this study and it is by no means exhaustive. We will behold His glory and praise Him forever as well as get to know more and more about Him.
John 6:63 says that the flesh profits nothing; the Spirit is where the focus should be. My point with communion is that the Spirit although invisible works as a "two edged sword" ( Hebrews 4:12). Therefore the importance is just as great as if something was physically changed into the body and blood of Christ. We may look at this like when Jesus forgave sins and asked which was harder; healing or forgiving sins? Clearly the latter because in the material world healing is somewhat a natural phenomenon; whereas there is no method for forgiveness of sins without the perfect Atonement; certainly not our own "good works" which are as Isaiah indicates "filthy rags" in His sight.
I argue that whether it is Baptism; Communion or "fellowship of the saints" when two or more are gathered together He is present; and of course as Revelation 1 and 2 seem to show sometimes it is only a few individuals who are walking correctly; and of course if we can't reach the lukewarm through admonition we should flee the lukewarm church that He will "spue out of His mouth as with the Laodiceans.
We do well to study what it means to be taking communion "unworthily". Certainly unconfessed sin comes to mind but it may be easy to overlook forgiving one's brother first as Jesus said we should do before going to the altar. Certainly this affects communion as well as we are part of the Body of Christ and any schisms hurt us and others as well.
We could also look at what made Christ's body and blood unique. He was born based on the Spirit basically being the "seed" that allowed for a virgin birth. If we consider what makes Him different we can look at a perfect "DNA" and such; but the spiritual perfection vs imperfection is beyond just the symptom of physical decay and death; it is being sinless vs sinful; inherited sin can't be explained readily. Also he bears the scars; certainly not the suffering eternally. This is what makes the "stigmata" of occultic origin only Christ atones.
Hebrews 4:14-5:10 KJV COGIC WORSHIP 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Jesus Christ is God. Jesus that makes intercedes on our behalf. I Worship God of forgiveness of sins,grace, holy-set free from sin, repentance. A God that makes you want to obey him and be like him. A God knee to bow and confess- Philippians 2:11
A God of prayer to do his will. A God of submission " My interpetation REDAPPLETREATY4MEONLY :mind,speaking,actions,attention of communications." God giving your confirmations- some definitions consecrated and ordained that is eternal life.
Our heavenly Father is always merciful. And the Bible even calls His throne, "the throne of grace where we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ( Hebrews 4:16)
Whereas Romans Chapter 1 tells us why God's wrath is upon sinners, Paul appeals in Acts 14 and in Acts 17 to the patience of God among the nations, to the way in which He has favored us with his general providences, and has set in the very created universe hints for man that show His glory, to indicate to us that He is to be worshiped and glorified, and how it is that throughout the course of history, He has been patient in the outworking of his plan and also in the present, remains patient before the final judgment in order that every opportunity may be given for men and women to repent.
He has not sent us immediately to hell. He has been patient for all of His planned events to occur and He has filled our lives with blessing, upon blessing, upon blessing. He's given to humanity the gift of the Scriptures that speaks God's words to man in all its power and glory. And, as the ultimate mercy, He has sent his own dear Son who will come again to judge the elect and the unbelievers.
Humans are condemned not because they have hated God's holiness only, but because they have hated His patience, His grace, His loving-kindness, His offer of mercy, all of which is free to us! But as Paul says in Romans 10:3, humans have rejected these free gifts from God in exchange for desiring to establish their own righteousness before Him and refuse to submit to the righteousness offered in Jesus Christ.
To men who have turned from communion with God, it means they shall have no communion with God. To men who have not seen the significance of the blessings of the earth, it means they will never enjoy the blessings of the new heaven and the new earth.
The only way any of us can enter into a relationship with God is because of His grace toward us. Beginning in Eden when Adam and Eve sinned God restored them to fellowship with Him by His free grace. He could have killed the first humans right then for their disobedience. But rather than destroy them, He chose to make a way for them to be right with Him.
God is the instigator of grace, and it is from Him that all other aspects of grace flows.
God extends grace to those He elected while we all were His enemies ( Romans 5:10) by regeneration wrought by the Spirit.
He gives us forgiveness ( Hebrews 8:12; Ephesians 1:7), reconciliation ( Colossians 1:19-20), abundant life ( John 10:10), eternal treasure ( Luke 12:33), His Holy Spirit ( Luke 11:13), and a place in heaven with Him some day ( John 3:16-18) when we are called by the gospel and its offer and place our faith in Jesus and His work on our behalf.
Grace is God giving the greatest treasure to the least deserving-which is every one of us whom He has brought to faith and placed us in Christ. This redemption is forever and the greatest treasure is Christ Himself.
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ( Hebrews 4:16)
"But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." ( James 4:6)
We find the term "grace" throughout the Bible as a gift and action of God. But what is God's grace, and how does it relate to us?
We experience God's grace because God is gracious. In Exodus 34:6, when God shows himself to Moses, we read, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." Gracious is used here as an adjective describing God. It is one of His attributes, describing who He is.
How lovely is this verse in Lamentations to the ears of forgiven sinners who believe the gospel and put their faith in Jesus Christ!
GOD'S COMPASSION
Pt. 1
Compassion is deep empathy towards those in need. It is concern, sympathy and pity for the suffering of others and a desire to alleviate their suffering.
Compassion is being moved in the affections of our inner being when we see the distress of others, coupled with a subsequent outer movement of action in which we seek to alleviate that distress out of love for God and love for neighbor.
The most important object this word is used to describe is God Himself. God is the root and foundation, the spring and fountainhead, of all true compassion ( 1 John 4:16). God's compassion is extolled throughout the Bible. Below are two particularly pertinent passages.
"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" ( Micah 7:18-19).
God's compassion is related to His mercy, kindness, patience, grace, forgiveness, and love. In fact, some of these attributes are so related and interwoven as to make clear demarcations between them difficult.
God's compassion compels Him to take action. He is not an impotent observer, nor is He unmoved by our sufferings and enslavement to sin. He is the omnipotent sovereign ruler of the universe ( Romans 9:14-16) and in Christ He suffers with us when we suffer ( Hebrews 4:15).
For sufferers, one of the most hope-giving promises is Christ's assurance, "I am with you" ( Matt. 28:20).
The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. We're told in Hebrews 4:12 that this sword is alive, active, and sharper than any sword you can imagine. This sword divides soul and spirit and it can judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. That's our Bible.
The sword of the Lord in the Bible is a symbolic representation of God's Word and the final battle against evil
The sword is a symbol of power, protection, authority, strength, and courage. The idea of the sword of the Spirit is that the Bible is a weapon to defend against evil and to demolish strongholds of error and falsehood.
Revelation 19:15
Describes the returning King of kings and Lord of lords using the sword of the Lord to "strike down the nations"
Acts 4:12
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." My interpetation: No mean time, cannot work or be done (not of God)
Elder Graves Quoted in Paragraph 1: Line 10-13 , Paragraph 2:Line 1-5
My interpetation:
Coming out of the law in truth meaning victory. 1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV
Elder Graves Quoted Paragraph 3 Line 8-14
My Respond: has blessed me with the opportunity that I have used my gifts to serve other writing comments of my ministry on Elder Graves blog website being displayed.
Colossians 3:17 KJV
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Proverbs 22:29 KJV
My interpetation:
Blessed my hands to see God, work, accomplish for me, and prosper. ( Mark 10:43-44, Nehemiah 2:18, Genesis 39:3,6
Genesis 41:43 )
Genesis 41:43 KJV
Elder Graves Defining Excellence Paragraph 2 Line 6-10
My Respond: I have honored God in Fairness and integrity in serving others working hands on and promoting the intellectual, ethical, cultural, emotional, and physical growth of each student.
According to California Department of Education supports high - quality educational programs for California diverse student population through its educational leadership role and places great importance on cultivating a diverse staff that understands and promotes the intellectual, ethical, cultural, emotional, and physical growth of each student.
Elder Graves Quoted Motivations for Christian Excellence
1. God and Jesus are Excellent:
My Respond: As a follower of Christ reflecting his excellence these are my supporting scripture texts Hebrews 12:2 KJV, Hebrews 4:15-16 KJV
Elder Graves Quoted Motivations for Christian Excellence
You say "Satan was testing Jesus to learn more about Him", Oh no, it is not true, I don't eat what you are saying, Satan was not interested in learning anything from JESUS, Satan was luring / attracting JESUS into his satanic trap, just as he had done with Eve and Adam in the beginning, and still does until the current time, as we can see.
No, the Scripture text tells us not what you believe as being the Devil's intention in the tempting of JESUS. My Lord JESUS fought against the Devil when He was tempted by him, by the Devil, and JESUS, as being the Word(GOD) made flesh, knew so well the devilish intention of the Enemy, then when Satan said to JESUS to transform stones in bread, He answered to Satan as the Word of GOD says in Deuteronomy 8:3. JESUS said: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the MOUTH of GOD.
Afterwards, Satan tempted my Lord JESUS by the Word of GOD, as he does until the current time, saying:"If thou be the Son of GOD, cast thyself down":Satan tried to induce JESUS to something like suicide, saying to JESUS the Word of GOD assured He shall give His angels charge concerning Him: and in their hands they shall bear Him up, lest at any time He dash His foot against a stone. WHAT SATAN SAID TO JESUS WAS TRUE, but my Lord JESUS didn't fall in the TRAP of Satan when he used the Word of GOD to tempt the Lord,so JESUS by the Word of GOD said to Satan:It also is written,Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy GOD. Deuteronomy 6:16
Again, the Devil takes JESUS up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them (AND TODAY, HOW SATAN SHOWS HIS GIGANTIC AND SUPER MODERN WORLD?)
9 And Satan said unto JESUS, All these things will I give thee,if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto Satan, Get thee hence, Satan:for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy GOD, and Him only shalt thou serve. Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20.
2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
When we look at Timothy we can see just from this passage his upbringing gave him head knowledge of who Christ was; and perhaps there wasn't an "aha" moment so to speak when he definitely was able to state was the day he came to saving faith.
That is just conjecture; but what we can discern is that it was likely just the Old Testament and those familiar with Christ's teachings from actually witnessing what happened to him to that would influence him; and that it was likely Paul's letters and some traditions would have been all of the "New" Testament available to him at the time.
Fast forwarding to today's tech savvy AI environment and we no doubt have a vast array of information available online regarding the Bible. In this segment I'm emphasizing living out faith through a human as being something a computer can't provide except by narrative accounts of saints who have largely passed this earthly realm.
What you won't gather is something perhaps rarely considered; that of those sins which we ALL learn from and how the Body of Christ works to strengthen one another. Suppose someone is given a Word; a specific scripture which happens to pierce the heart of another parishioner. A person may have no idea why the Lord prompts them to warn (let's say a verse about those inheriting the Kingdom of God not being fornicators; idoloters; adulterors; etc ( 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). This is an example of proper use of spiritual gifts; that is using scripture (and not some extrabiblical prophecy) to give a warning to someone. The person can apply it to whatever it is they are struggling with and then it can pierce the heart as Hebrews 4:12 indicates as a "two edged sword". Often men are viewed in a very one sided manner by a computer summary of their lives.
Outta room.
How long did it take the children of Isreal to travel from Egypt to the borders of the promised land? Most will say 40 years . Not so .It took them just over two years . But the church the body of which I am a part has made the wandering in the wilderness for 40 years the Christian norm.
Has made the promised land heaven and Jordon death .
There are no giants in heaven or cities to conquer .
It was God who barred them from entering because of their unbelief . Out of over 2000,000 people there was only TWO ( 2) who came out of Egypt and entered the promised land . It was another generation that entered the very children who thevothers said would be bread for those giants were the ones who became " more than conquerors" .
They shall not enter into my rest . They found no place of rest in the wilderness .
That minor part was to be in effect boot camp . But they made it their life. " Fire er learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth".
It's time we woke up for it is written of the Bride she will " come out of the wilderness terrible as an army with banners leaning upon her beloved"
The sun is like the groom who comes out of his chamber.."
The Bride is the moon who having no light of its own never the less bares witness that even in the darkest night when she is still shining that not only is the sun still shining but that there is coming a perfect day .
And "God created thec greater light to rule the day and the lesser. Light to rule the night.
@ Hebrews 4:9-10
Isaiah 26:3
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
Jeremiah 45:2-3
"Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest."
Isaiah 40:29
"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that haveno might he increaseth strength."
Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew theirstrength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Psalms 27:1
"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."
To God be the Glory:
Sunday, or first day of the week, was a day set aside by early Christians to come together to worship the Lord & learn from His Word ( Acts 20:7), separate from the Jewish Sabbath and probably in remembrance and inline with the Lord's Resurrection on the first day of the week. And of course, Sunday can be utilized as a day of rest, spiritual contemplation, and being of service to others. So, apart of this aspect of rest and spiritual exercises, not much else is similar to the Sabbath Day observance by Israel.
However, Hebrews 4:9,10 states: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." And this rest has been promised to all who place their trust in Jesus. We look not just for that one day of rest from physical activity, but a true abiding rest in our Savior; resting from our efforts we made previously to please God, and now finding perfect rest by the ministry of His Spirit in our hearts & lives seven days a week.
Though I don't believe that 'Bible Hermeneutics (BH)..is a placebo prescribed by quacks..' BH is a clear requirement to correctly read and understand God's Word as given, without adding our beliefs, views, & inclinations to it. If Christian nationalism purports to be God's instrument for the installation of Christ's Kingdom & His Holy requirements, then BH is not the fault, but lies at their reading of the Word & their exuberance for the restoration of Christian principles. If that were not the case, then shouldn't all of us, who stand behind BH, also advocate those nationalistic programs? Christ's Kingdom will come, as the Word declares, but on His terms, not ours. We are simply called to be His witnesses of His Mercy & Grace, living Holy lives that reflect the very Nature of the God we worship and serve, and to be a "sweet savour of Christ" to all. So, to name some as 'quacks' is quite uncalled for, since the same could be applied to those who don't hold to correct methods of interpretation, but I refrain from doing so.
Isaiah 58:13
"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:"
Isaiah 58:14
"Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."
Hebrews 4:10
"For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."
Blessings
Is it not also written that we are made kings and priests unto God"?
Of what irder? Of Malchezidech.
In the temple not made with hands . If then they are guiltless in the flesh in the temple made with hands how much more then the true saints of God ?
Now is not the foundation of the Sabbath as it is understood by many based upon Genesis and of how Hod rested on 7th day?
Who can deny it ? Then what do you make of that scripture that says " we are to rest from our labours even as God did from His"? Hebrews 4:10.
Again I say this not for contention but that one or the other be fully persuaded in their own minds and be at peace and with each other .
Collisions " Ket no man judge you in meat and drink or in respect of an holy day or a new moon or a sabbath day ( which are but shadows of things to come )"
Endless 'debates' therefore about the Sabbath are not only unfruitful but barred in scripture .
The above is hardly an definitive exposition of the subject but it is or shouild be enough for any spiritually minded Saint to avoid such needless contentions and perhaos a foundation for further study for clearly there is more to the subject than what is commonly held on the matter .
But I repeat again what Paul writes if you or any esteem one day above all other days go in peace and be at peace with yiur brethren or if you esteem all days alike does this not also apply? And not to judge your brethren in the matter ?
For clearly it is not either or but rather if we are IN Christ he is our peace and we should rest from our own works and rest in Him .for we walk by faith do we not ? And " after the Spirit and not after the flesh"
Gerald
Brother Jesse has provided Scriptures to consider on this matter. I could offer Scriptures that would debate these points, but that would not answer your questions. This doctrine originated in 325 A.D. and was expanded over the next 150 years or so. You need to pray and study for your own conscience.
The majority support this doctrine, and some believe it is essential to be a Christian. Jesus is our Lord, and He gave His life to pay the penalty for sin so that we, through Him, can be reconciled to God. The wages of sin are death, Romans 6:23. Jesus' death on the cross paid this price.
Jesus had His own will, but was obedient and did the will of the Father, John 14:31, Luke 22:42, John 5:30, John 17:16, John 12:49.
The Chalcedonian Creed A.D. 451 states, "Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, in confusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of nature's being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved." Does Scripture support this?
God alone possesses immortality, 1 Timothy 6:16. Our faith rests on the death and resurrection of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 1 Corinthians 15:12-17. God cannot die. Jesus was tempted in the same ways we are, Hebrews 4:14-16. God cannot be tempted, James 1:13.
The Bible will answer all questions we have if we are ready to receive the answer, Matthew 7:7, James 1:5, with prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit-not man.
God bless your study,
RLW
I'll call this series (if it goes beyond this post) in depth Christian fellowship in the Body of Christ. As typical on my end I don't put as much forethought as I should perhaps. It should be clear by now that if I am obsessive with anything there is always scriptural backing. Hopefully thinking outside the box will help us to meditate on deeper meanings of our brothers and sisters in Christ; and how we learn to build relationships based on Christ's teachings and through the Spirit rather than our own understanding.
I also want to avoid being boring here; while admitting that without being strongly gifted with serving spiritually it is an effort at times for me to do what I'm sure many of you do on a regular basis in terms of serving others. In general my theme here is that being Born Again allows us to rejoice in serving not only other believers but those in the world who; well aren't exactly out there heaping praise on us all the time. I will say that even when I am not up to par; there is sympathy at times when people see my concern to get it right in an attempt to honor my supervisors and therefore the Lord in my work.
Of course as Paul stated it wasn't his primary mission (he really didn't have the time) in serving tables (see Acts 6:2). He certainly was an example of self sacrificial life himself but the Word of God and the limits of time he had as a travelling Apostle didn't allow for lengthy sidetracks.
I would like to redirect our attention to our role as kings and priests spelled out in Revelation. Jesus acts now; according to Hebrews 4:14 and many other verses in that book and elsewhere to facilitate intercession with the Father in our behalf. We are also 1 Peter 2:5
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ-this indicates our role in service; prayers and TRAINING for future rule in heaven.
"And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment."
Acts 18:4
"And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks."
Galatians 3:28
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Hebrews 4:9
"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
and ye shall hold your peace.
Psalm 86:17, Hebrews 4:15-16 kjv.
I pray that I do not offend you, brother. Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God, and God placed Him above all, not just humans, until the last enemy is destroyed. Jesus is worthy of these titles. We do not see the apostles teaching that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, in Acts 3:13, where Peter says, "the God of our fathers hath glorified His Son."
In Revelation 1:17-18 says "he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore". God is Spirit and eternal, and can not change, nor even any part of Him die. God sent His Son into this world to be the propitiation for our sins, 1 John 4:10. The law was for man, who could be tempted, Hebrews 4:14, God cannot be tempted James 1:13. Man had to live a perfect life, obedient to the Father, and die that through Jesus's blood, we have redemption, Ephesians 1:7, God is a Spirit.
The phrase "son of man" in the Old Testament is a metaphor or idiom referring to a human being or a mere mortal. God addressed Ezekiel as "Son of Man"; Jesus referred to Himself 80 times as the "Son of Man." In Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel was shown a vision of Jesus after His resurrection ascending to heaven, to His Father, Ephesians 1:17-23, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory. God does not have a God, 2 Cor. 11:31, Eph. 1:3, Eph. 4:6, 1 Pet. 1:3.
Daniel 10, this is not a vision of Christ; it is an angel, Gabriel. This chapter shows us that battles in the spiritual realm are going on that we do not see or hear. Daniel had prayed and was mourning about what he had been shown would happen to his people and Jerusalem in Daniel 9. In Daniel 10:12-14, Gabriel tells Daniel why he was late coming; this is not a vision of Christ.
I will leave it there; I hope you understand my reply is in love.
bless,
RLW
Revelation 1:16 - And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: That's taken from Isaiah 49:2. It is also mentioned later in Revelation Chapter 19 at the second coming of Christ, where it says out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and tread them in a winepress of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God.
We don't expect to see a literal sword. That's the Jewish way of saying how powerful God's word is. It's like a sword that cuts right through you. We know in Hebrews 4:12, and again, another Jewish literature letter, it says for the word of God is quick, that is, living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and it is a discerner, that is, a critic, of the thoughts and motivations of the heart.
That's how powerful God's word is. We're not talking about quoting the bible. We're talking about the truth that God's word has. It cuts deep. It's powerful. Out of the Lord's mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.
And His countenance, that is, His face, was as the sun shineth in his strength. The Greek phrase expresses looking straight into the sun at high noon on the brightest day of the year. Wow, what a sight!
That's from Judges 5:31. That's who Jesus Christ is!
So these are real issues.
What you can do for yourself is to get to know Jesus Christ through the Word of God. And personally I think you have to be a personal Christian. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. You will find here on the web page how to be saved, read the words loud and clear. And believe them If you are, you are safe. Sometimes you can talk to the spirits, and you need to know who you are dealing with. For example: Everything that is of evil Jesus Himself mentions in Matthew 15:19 Remember that the person in question knows nothing about it. You don't need to gape and scream. It is enough to say things like - Come out of her/him now, you blasphemous spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ. For in His Name He Himself says. HEhas all power in heaven and on earth. Jesus has allpower. AllspiritsareafraidofHim.
2 Peter 3:9 Hebrews 4:14-16 Joh 8:12 Acts 2:38
Hebrews 4:15 - For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Wow! If you underline from "be touched, all the way through with the feeling of our infirmities," that's actually two words in the Greek text, the word able, and the word sympathy. Our high priest is able to sympathize with our infirmities.
But was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Or more literally, but according to all things, according to our likeness, yet without sin. That's how those last two phrases read. So, we do not have a high priest which cannot, and is not able to sympathize with our infirmities, but according to all things, according to our likeness, He was tempted, yet without sin. He had no sin nature.
Hebrews 5:2 - Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
That term "out of the way" means those who wonder in error, compassion on people who are ignorant and are easily led astray. And that's because of the condition of the priest, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity, or weakness.
Hebrews 5:9 - And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
And being made perfect, and this is the word TELIOS which means complete, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all of those who obey him;
The completion: It is finished. He has done it all!
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
For the word of God is quick, which means alive. And powerful. And then thirdly, sharper than any twoedged sword. Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner, or more literally a critic, of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
I like to view the church (fellowship of believers) as a spiritual hospital because that's what it is. It's for people coming to get saved, and for people coming for therapy because they've already been saved, but they need to be transformed from the effects of sin.
The word of God is like an x-ray machine. And this is why some people don't like to be around the word. When some believers are caught up in sin, they don't like to be around the teaching of the word of God because it's "an x-ray machine!"
When it says the word of God, we're talking about the combination of Spirit and scripture. Just the scriptures themselves, those are the words in ink on the page. That's not going to convict you. It is God's Spirit that makes the word of God alive and powerful just like a surgeon's needle and will get right down to being a critic of the motivations and intentions of a person's heart. That's how powerful it is!
Part 7.
Hebrews 4:3 references Psalm 95, which describes the Israelites' journey with Moses through the wilderness, enduring dunes, rocky paths, and scarce food and water. Those who did not remain faithful, trusting in God's promise, did not enter God's rest. This passage stresses faith and the rest God has promised to those who, in faith, overcome the trials of this life filled with challenges, temptations, and struggles.
Revelation 3:5 shows us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot earn our salvation through our actions; rather, this rest is dependent on accepting the grace and redemption offered in Christ, works that were finished from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 13:7-8 states that all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. This time is still to come; only true believers will be able to resist this hour of temptation that is foretold in Revelation 3:10. We see this same language in the concept that the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world.
The challenge and reward are found in Revelation 2:7 and Revelation 13:9-10, "He who has ears, let him hear." We can read and study the Bible without grasping the truth of its message for different reasons, truth comes from prayer. Our ears are connected to our eyes; if we cannot hear, we are also blind.
We have these verses to consider.
Before being ordained, Jeremiah 1:5, Acts 13:48, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 1:15
The foreknowledge of God, Acts 2:23, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:26-27, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 1:20
Predestination, Acts 4:27-28, Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 1:10-12
God's plan.
2 Kings 19:25, Psalm 33:11, Isaiah 14:27, Isaiah 22:11, Isaiah 25:1, Isaiah 37:26, Isaiah 46:10, Jeremiah 29:11.
See last part 8
Donna, I know where Yakima is. We live near Puget Sound.
I have these Scripture verses for you to meditate upon during this time of sadness, worry for Arthur.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and grace in our time of need.
Hebrews 7:2
Consequently, He (Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him (Jesus), since He always lives to make intercession for them (Us).
1 Peter 5:7 (We can be comforted, receive peace, and relief from our worry and grief by)
casting all of your anxiety upon Him (Jesus) for He cares for you.
I continue to pray for Arthur and your other son who are together at this time, (most likely not good for each other).
And for you, Momma, who brings to God the needs of your sons. I pray that God will strengthen you in faith, inn physical strength, in hope, and in confidence in God.
I know that this situation is so painful for you and also for Arthur.
I would like to ask you to pray for my friend, Kim, who is bed bound, disabled, so very depressed and not receiving the care she truly needs by not wishing to go into an assisted living situation. I will be taking her to the dentist tomorrow. This will be the first time she has allowed me to see her in 5 years. I am glad to help her, but she is just in a very bad mental and physical place. AS friends, we love each other. But I can only do what she allows me to do, since she is completely mentally competent. He two children both have jobs and can only care for her in the evenings, which isn't good care because they will not get her up out of bed into a wheel chair to come out of her room into the common living space to be able to interact with them. They feed her, clean the house, and other necessary things, but are not to aware of how they can help her to have better daily experiences.
I appreciate your prayers for her and her children. Her husband passed away 1 1/2 yrs. ago.
There are many verses explaining Christ's perfect; sinless life. Hebrews 4:15 says For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. A casual search will find lists of dozens to 100 or more verses on this subject. These are fine studies and I will try to incorporate many more into this series. My main focus is on how He lived this way in varying situations whether with His inner circle of Disciples; the larger public; the Pharisees and Sadducees or private prayer.
As I brought up briefly in an earlier post; Jesus lived His first 30 years with scanty details written about it. Although there are spurious extrabiblical writings that mention outrageous miracles; signs and wonders ascribed to this period of His life; the fact that the Spirit came down on Him and even John didn't know who He was should tell us otherwise. John was born to Elizabeth; Mary's cousin (according to the way most understand the text). If anything extraordinary occurred you would expect John would have been aware of it before this time. Mary knew certainly that all that Christ said should be paid attention to; we see this with the miracle of the water turned to wine in the Cana wedding in John 2:1-11. We will start there and leave the general conclusion that Jesus served His parents well and with the family business; which some have said is more representing general labor of construction work rather than just a carpenter. He did with the incident when He was 12 years old briefly "disobey" His parents in appearance doing work in "His Father's house" ( Luke 2:49); which shows how God was His true Father hence it could trump Joseph His earthly father; nonethless this was a one time incident; perhaps I'll surmise being a rite of passage like a BarMitzvah although I could be wrong about that; just a thought.
More on the Cana miracle in part 2
If we look at the whole of Scripture we see a sort of a master play; fleshed out in the epochs of the past and heading from now into the future with a predetermined outcome. The characters are manifold and encompass different cultures and nations including territory all the way from Ethiopia to India ( Esther 1:1); to include Jerusalem as the center focus eventually with surrounding parts of Europe, Asia and Africa making it as the "center" of the earth of the major Kingdoms from Babylon; Egypt; Greece and Rome in the past to the future "Beast" system of the end times rapidly developing as we speak.
In all this we see something unique; that the codirector as it were personally had to take the fall in the middle of this drama and come back to life. Everyone of course is part of the audience but of course where their future is the question.
As men any description of God's ways is inadequate. It is always best to keep to God's Word rather than even the best books written on scriptural topics such as "Pilgrims Progress" or the thoughtful tales of C.S. Lewis that have hundreds of scriptures brought to life in a fanciful story of British youth in the Post World War two era and Aslan as a type of Christ. Nonetheless; it is no accident of course all the details in all of our individual lives and how they fit in with everyone else; John 21:25 makes it clear that all the books in the world couldn't hold just what Christ Himself did when on earth. The Bible is the LIVING Word; and although it has to be front and center it is active ( Hebrews 4:12). Our existence will change as the rest of His chosen first Fruits are Resurrected into new bodies but even with a new heaven and earth and the old one burned up His Truth remains the same.
I intend to spend some time on this study and it is by no means exhaustive. We will behold His glory and praise Him forever as well as get to know more and more about Him.
Here we go...
I argue that whether it is Baptism; Communion or "fellowship of the saints" when two or more are gathered together He is present; and of course as Revelation 1 and 2 seem to show sometimes it is only a few individuals who are walking correctly; and of course if we can't reach the lukewarm through admonition we should flee the lukewarm church that He will "spue out of His mouth as with the Laodiceans.
We do well to study what it means to be taking communion "unworthily". Certainly unconfessed sin comes to mind but it may be easy to overlook forgiving one's brother first as Jesus said we should do before going to the altar. Certainly this affects communion as well as we are part of the Body of Christ and any schisms hurt us and others as well.
We could also look at what made Christ's body and blood unique. He was born based on the Spirit basically being the "seed" that allowed for a virgin birth. If we consider what makes Him different we can look at a perfect "DNA" and such; but the spiritual perfection vs imperfection is beyond just the symptom of physical decay and death; it is being sinless vs sinful; inherited sin can't be explained readily. Also he bears the scars; certainly not the suffering eternally. This is what makes the "stigmata" of occultic origin only Christ atones.
Hebrews 4:14-5:10 KJV COGIC WORSHIP 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Jesus Christ is God. Jesus that makes intercedes on our behalf. I Worship God of forgiveness of sins,grace, holy-set free from sin, repentance. A God that makes you want to obey him and be like him. A God knee to bow and confess- Philippians 2:11
A God of prayer to do his will. A God of submission " My interpetation REDAPPLETREATY4MEONLY :mind,speaking,actions,attention of communications." God giving your confirmations- some definitions consecrated and ordained that is eternal life.
Pt. 5
Our heavenly Father is always merciful. And the Bible even calls His throne, "the throne of grace where we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ( Hebrews 4:16)
Whereas Romans Chapter 1 tells us why God's wrath is upon sinners, Paul appeals in Acts 14 and in Acts 17 to the patience of God among the nations, to the way in which He has favored us with his general providences, and has set in the very created universe hints for man that show His glory, to indicate to us that He is to be worshiped and glorified, and how it is that throughout the course of history, He has been patient in the outworking of his plan and also in the present, remains patient before the final judgment in order that every opportunity may be given for men and women to repent.
He has not sent us immediately to hell. He has been patient for all of His planned events to occur and He has filled our lives with blessing, upon blessing, upon blessing. He's given to humanity the gift of the Scriptures that speaks God's words to man in all its power and glory. And, as the ultimate mercy, He has sent his own dear Son who will come again to judge the elect and the unbelievers.
Humans are condemned not because they have hated God's holiness only, but because they have hated His patience, His grace, His loving-kindness, His offer of mercy, all of which is free to us! But as Paul says in Romans 10:3, humans have rejected these free gifts from God in exchange for desiring to establish their own righteousness before Him and refuse to submit to the righteousness offered in Jesus Christ.
To men who have turned from communion with God, it means they shall have no communion with God. To men who have not seen the significance of the blessings of the earth, it means they will never enjoy the blessings of the new heaven and the new earth.
See Pt. 6
Pt. 2
The only way any of us can enter into a relationship with God is because of His grace toward us. Beginning in Eden when Adam and Eve sinned God restored them to fellowship with Him by His free grace. He could have killed the first humans right then for their disobedience. But rather than destroy them, He chose to make a way for them to be right with Him.
God is the instigator of grace, and it is from Him that all other aspects of grace flows.
God extends grace to those He elected while we all were His enemies ( Romans 5:10) by regeneration wrought by the Spirit.
He gives us forgiveness ( Hebrews 8:12; Ephesians 1:7), reconciliation ( Colossians 1:19-20), abundant life ( John 10:10), eternal treasure ( Luke 12:33), His Holy Spirit ( Luke 11:13), and a place in heaven with Him some day ( John 3:16-18) when we are called by the gospel and its offer and place our faith in Jesus and His work on our behalf.
Grace is God giving the greatest treasure to the least deserving-which is every one of us whom He has brought to faith and placed us in Christ. This redemption is forever and the greatest treasure is Christ Himself.
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ( Hebrews 4:16)
"But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." ( James 4:6)
We find the term "grace" throughout the Bible as a gift and action of God. But what is God's grace, and how does it relate to us?
We experience God's grace because God is gracious. In Exodus 34:6, when God shows himself to Moses, we read, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." Gracious is used here as an adjective describing God. It is one of His attributes, describing who He is.
How lovely is this verse in Lamentations to the ears of forgiven sinners who believe the gospel and put their faith in Jesus Christ!
GOD'S COMPASSION
Pt. 1
Compassion is deep empathy towards those in need. It is concern, sympathy and pity for the suffering of others and a desire to alleviate their suffering.
Compassion is being moved in the affections of our inner being when we see the distress of others, coupled with a subsequent outer movement of action in which we seek to alleviate that distress out of love for God and love for neighbor.
The most important object this word is used to describe is God Himself. God is the root and foundation, the spring and fountainhead, of all true compassion ( 1 John 4:16). God's compassion is extolled throughout the Bible. Below are two particularly pertinent passages.
"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" ( Micah 7:18-19).
God's compassion is related to His mercy, kindness, patience, grace, forgiveness, and love. In fact, some of these attributes are so related and interwoven as to make clear demarcations between them difficult.
God's compassion compels Him to take action. He is not an impotent observer, nor is He unmoved by our sufferings and enslavement to sin. He is the omnipotent sovereign ruler of the universe ( Romans 9:14-16) and in Christ He suffers with us when we suffer ( Hebrews 4:15).
For sufferers, one of the most hope-giving promises is Christ's assurance, "I am with you" ( Matt. 28:20).
See Pt. 2
The sword of the Lord in the Bible is a symbolic representation of God's Word and the final battle against evil
The sword is a symbol of power, protection, authority, strength, and courage. The idea of the sword of the Spirit is that the Bible is a weapon to defend against evil and to demolish strongholds of error and falsehood.
Revelation 19:15
Describes the returning King of kings and Lord of lords using the sword of the Lord to "strike down the nations"
Acts 4:12
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
King James Version (KJV)
COME LORD JESUS
Hebrews 4:16 kjv.
Lord Jesus, I present Natasha's needs to you.
And my own also. Help us to leave them in
Your safekeeping. You alone understand.
Thank You for Your Faithfulness and Perfect
Will . For Your Strength for Natasha on this
new day. Alleluia. Amen.
God bless you Natasha.
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." My interpetation: No mean time, cannot work or be done (not of God)
Elder Graves Quoted in Paragraph 1: Line 10-13 , Paragraph 2:Line 1-5
My interpetation:
Coming out of the law in truth meaning victory. 1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV
Elder Graves Quoted Paragraph 3 Line 8-14
My Respond: has blessed me with the opportunity that I have used my gifts to serve other writing comments of my ministry on Elder Graves blog website being displayed.
Colossians 3:17 KJV
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Proverbs 22:29 KJV
My interpetation:
Blessed my hands to see God, work, accomplish for me, and prosper. ( Mark 10:43-44, Nehemiah 2:18, Genesis 39:3,6
Genesis 41:43 )
Genesis 41:43 KJV
Elder Graves Defining Excellence Paragraph 2 Line 6-10
My Respond: I have honored God in Fairness and integrity in serving others working hands on and promoting the intellectual, ethical, cultural, emotional, and physical growth of each student.
According to California Department of Education supports high - quality educational programs for California diverse student population through its educational leadership role and places great importance on cultivating a diverse staff that understands and promotes the intellectual, ethical, cultural, emotional, and physical growth of each student.
Elder Graves Quoted Motivations for Christian Excellence
1. God and Jesus are Excellent:
My Respond: As a follower of Christ reflecting his excellence these are my supporting scripture texts Hebrews 12:2 KJV, Hebrews 4:15-16 KJV
Elder Graves Quoted Motivations for Christian Excellence
3. Excellence Encourages Growth:
I Peter 4:10 KJV Allows you listen to God.
Line 8-11 My Respond: I believe fruit can a
You say "Satan was testing Jesus to learn more about Him", Oh no, it is not true, I don't eat what you are saying, Satan was not interested in learning anything from JESUS, Satan was luring / attracting JESUS into his satanic trap, just as he had done with Eve and Adam in the beginning, and still does until the current time, as we can see.
No, the Scripture text tells us not what you believe as being the Devil's intention in the tempting of JESUS. My Lord JESUS fought against the Devil when He was tempted by him, by the Devil, and JESUS, as being the Word(GOD) made flesh, knew so well the devilish intention of the Enemy, then when Satan said to JESUS to transform stones in bread, He answered to Satan as the Word of GOD says in Deuteronomy 8:3. JESUS said: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the MOUTH of GOD.
Afterwards, Satan tempted my Lord JESUS by the Word of GOD, as he does until the current time, saying:"If thou be the Son of GOD, cast thyself down":Satan tried to induce JESUS to something like suicide, saying to JESUS the Word of GOD assured He shall give His angels charge concerning Him: and in their hands they shall bear Him up, lest at any time He dash His foot against a stone. WHAT SATAN SAID TO JESUS WAS TRUE, but my Lord JESUS didn't fall in the TRAP of Satan when he used the Word of GOD to tempt the Lord,so JESUS by the Word of GOD said to Satan:It also is written,Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy GOD. Deuteronomy 6:16
Again, the Devil takes JESUS up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them (AND TODAY, HOW SATAN SHOWS HIS GIGANTIC AND SUPER MODERN WORLD?)
9 And Satan said unto JESUS, All these things will I give thee,if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto Satan, Get thee hence, Satan:for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy GOD, and Him only shalt thou serve. Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20.
Hebrews 4:12-13